Hong Kong Postpones Elections By a Year, Citing Coronavirus
Critics say government fears devastating defeat at polls
At least 90 people were arrested in Hong Kong Sunday during protests against the postponement of legislative elections.
The elections, originally scheduled to be held Sunday, are one of the few times Hong Kong residents get to cast ballots.
China’s hand-picked Hong Kong leader, Carrie Lam, announced in late July that the city’s election would be postponed for a year, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The move was widely seen as a blow to the pro-democracy camp, which was widely expected to do well in the election.
Riot police shot rounds of pepper balls at protesters Sunday, Reuters reported. Hong Kong police wrote in a Facebook post that 90 people had been arrested, mainly for gathering illegally.
Though smaller and less frequent than in 2019, protests for democracy and independent in Hong Kong have continued despite concerns about the coronavirus pandemic, particularly after China passed a new security law in June, further diminishing rights of the semi-autonomous city.